Electrically operated doorlock mechanism



Aug. 29, 1933. R. M. HYLA ELECTRICALLY OPERATED DOORLOQK MECHANISM Filed May 20, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 29, 1933. R, HY-LA ELECTRICALLY OPERATED DOORLOCK MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 20, 1932 Patented Aug. 29, 1933 UNITED STATES ELECTRICALLY OPERATED DOORLOCK MECHANISM Raymond Mike Hyla, Amsterdam, N. Y. I Application May 20, 1932. Serial No. 612609 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in electrically operated door lock mechanism for mail and other boxes.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a door lock mechanism for mail and other boxes wherein the door is automatically locked when moved to closed position with electrically operated devices embodied in the lock mechanism and operable from a distant point, such as within a house for releasing the lock mechanism to permit opening of the box door.

A further object of the invention is to provide electrically operated door lock mechanism for mail and other boxes of the foregoing character wherein an indicator device is associated with the lock mechanism to visually show when the mechanism is in locked or released position.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a mail box constructed in accordance with the present invention and equipped with electrically operated door lock mechanism and showing by dotted lines the mail slot in the top wall of the box with an overlying hinge cover therefor;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the mail box showing a window opening in the hinged door for visual inspection of the mail compartment and the single window with a visible indicator to determine whether or not the mechanism is in locked or released position;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the mail box;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary end elevational view showing the mail slot cover elevated to expose the mail slot;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the mail box with the door in open position with the indicator device disclosing the re- 45 leased condition of the lock mechanism and the open door;

Figure 6 is a vertical cross-sectional View taken on line 6-6 of Figure 3, with one wall of the lock mechanism chamber broken away to disclose 50 the lock mechanism in its door locking position;

Figure '7 is a rear elevational view, partly broken away and shown in section with the lock mechanism electrically shifted to inoperative position to permit opening movement of the door;

55 Figure 8 is a View similar to Figure 7 showing the positions assumed by the lock mechanism during initial opening movement of the door;

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 99 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the electrically operated dog for the door latch; and

Figure 11 diagrammatically illustrates the electrically operated devices for shifting the dog relative to the door latch.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated an electrically operated door lock mechanism for mail and other boxes, the mail box being preferably of rectangular formation embodying a bottom wall 1, front and rear walls 2 and'3, end walls 4 and 5 and a top wall 6. The top wall 6 is provided with a slotted opening 7 for the passage of letters and other mail, the slot being covered by a cover 8 hinged to the top wall as at 9. The front wall 2 is provided with a large'opening closed by a door 10 that is hinged along one vertical side edge thereof as at 11 to the forward edge of the end wall 5. A removable panel 12 comprises a part of the rear wall 3, permitting access to the interior of the box and also the mechanism chamber 0 13 located adjacent the front and end walls 2 and 4 at one corner of the box and defined by the wall 14 and removable panel 15.

The lock mechanism for the door 10 is shown more clearly in Figures 6 to 11 and is supported 35 upon the inner face of the front wall 2 of the box within the chamber 13, the lock mechanism including a dog 16 pivotally mounted upon the wall 2 as at 1'7, being vertically disposed with the lower end thereof moving through a guide 18 under influence of the spring 19 and being limited in its movement in one direction under the influence of the spring by the guide 18 that constitutes a stop. The lower end of the dog 16 when at its limit of movement under influence of the spring 19 extends partially across the T- shaped opening 20 formed in the rabbetted portion 2a of the front wall 2 that receives the free swinging edge of the door 10. A latch arm 21 carried by the inner sideof the free swinging edge of the door 10 projects perpendicularly of the door and is of plate formation for passage through the cross head of the T-slot 20, the underside of the latch arm 21 carrying a cam lug 22 for purposes presently to appear that passes through the vertical leg of the T-shaped slot 20. As shown in Figure 9, one sideedge of the latch arm '21 is notched as at 23 so that when the door is in closed position, the notch 23 is presented for reception of the dog 16 to retain the door in closed and locked position.

Electrically operated devices in the chamber 13 are adapted to shift the dog 16 against spring tension thereon to disengage the same from the latch arm 21 to permit opening movement of the door 10 and movement of the latch arm carried thereby outwardly of the box through the T- shaped opening 20. These devices including an electro-magnet 24 located within the casing 25 at the upper end of the box adjacent the upper end of the pivoted dog 16 and as illustrated in Figure 11, the electro-magnet 24 is in line wire communication as at 26 with a source of electrical energy 27 that may comprise a low voltage battery or the bell circuit of a house, the line wire 26 having a manually operated switch 28 set therein that may be located wherever desired, such as within a house. An armature 29 is carried by the upper end of the dog 16 and is insulated therefrom and when the electro-magnet 2a is energized upon closing of the switch 28, the armature 29 is drawn thereto, moving the dog 16 upon its pivotal mounting 17 and displaces the lower end of the do from engagement 31 upon the front wall 2 of the box within the chamber 13, one end of the pivoted arm exlower end of the dog 16. The other end of the arm 30 carries an upstanding weighted block 33 causing pivotal movement of the arm 30 when the lower end of the dog 16 that is normally engaged with the upper edge of the arm 30 is shifted by the electro-magnet toward the rabbetted end of the arm 30 as shown in Figure '1. When the dog is engaged with the latch arm as shown in Figure 6, the cam lug 22 depending from the latch arm 21 is disposed inwardly of the arm 30 so that pivotal movement of said arm is unobstructed thereby. The weighted end of the pivoted arm 30 extends through a strap guide 34 for limiting movements thereof in opposite directions.

The front wall portion 2 laterally of the door 10 is provided with a window opening 35 and the adjacent face of the weighted block 33 that moves past the window opening 35 carries legends or characters 36'as shown in Figures 2 and 5, to indicate when the loci; mechanism and the door 10 are in either open or closed positions. The

door 10 is provided with a window opening 37 for visual inspection of the interior of the box without opening the door and said door carries a handle or knob 38 provided with a direction arrow 39 cooperating with a finger 40 at the inner side of the door 10 so that when the knob 38 is rotated, the finger 40 will be extended into a keeper socket 41 in the front wall section 2 as illustrated in Figures 2 and 5.

Assuming the lock mechanism to be in the position shown in Figure 6 with the door 1!) closed, the latter is restrained from opening movement by the dog 16 engaged in the notch 23 of the latch arm 21, the lower end of the dog being engaged with the upper edge of the adjacent end of the pivoted arm 30 with the weighted block 33 retained in its raised position to disclose through the window opening 35 the condition of the lock echanism and door 10. To open the door to obtain access to the interior of the box, the switch 28 is closed for energizing the electromagnet 24 that attracts the armature 29 for moving the dog 16 upon its pivot 17 against the tension of the spring 19, the lower end of the dog 16 moving laterally of the latch arm 21 and when the lower end of the dog is disposed above the rabbetted end 32 of the arm 30, the weighted block 33 raises the rabbetted end of the arm 30 into the position shown in Figure 7 for locking the dog in its shifted position, the lowering of theweighted block 33 disclosing the open condition of the lock mechanism as shown in Figure 5. The door knob 38 is then rotated in accordance with the arrow 39 thereon to disengage the finger 4-) from the keeper notch 41 and when the door is swung to an open position on its hinge mounting 11, the cam lug 22 rides over the upper edge of the rabbetted end of the pivoted arm 30, this initial movement of the door displacing the latch arm notch 23 from registry with the dog 16, permitting the dog to be pivotally moved under influence of the spring 19 with the lower end thereof disposed above and engaged with the upper edge of the pivoted arm 30. When the door 10 is closed, the cam lug 22-moves over the pivoted arm 30 as shown in Figure 8, with the notched side edge of the latch arm 21 moving in engagement with the adjacent edge of the dog 16, the cam lug 22 escaping the pivoted arm 30 which is restored to the position shown in Figure 6, closing movement of the door continuing until the notch 23 in the latch arm is in a position to receive the dog 16. The removable panels 12 and 15 permit access to the chamber 13 for repair or replacement of parts of the lock mechanism within the chamber.

From the above detailed description of the invention, it is believed that the construction and operation thereof will at once be apparent and while there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In door lock mechanism for mail boxes, lock mechanism for the door including a pivoted dog, a latch arm adapted to bemoved into engagement with the dog, means for moving the dog to an inoperative position relative to the latch arm, means for holding the dog in inoperative position and the latch arm cooperating with the last named means during movement thereof for rendering the same ineffective for retaining the dog in inoperative position.

2. In door lock mechanism for mail boxes and the like, loci: mechanism for the door including a tensioned vertically disposed pivoted dog, a latch arm having a side notch to receive the dog, a pivoted horizontally disposed arm having one end disposed beneath the dog with the end thereof outwardly of the dog rabbetted to receive the dog when pivotally moved to space the same from the latch arm, electrically operated devices for moving the dog against spring tension thereon and means carried by the latch arm for moving the pivoted horizontal arm from engagement with the dog upon movement of the latch arm to restore the dog to set position.

3. In door lock mechanism for mail boxes and the like, lock mechanism for the door including a tensioned vertically disposed pivoted dog, a latch arm having a side notch to receive the dog, a pivoted horizontally disposed arm having one end disposed beneath the dog with the other end thereof outwardly of the dog rabbetted to receive the dog when pivotally moved to space the same from the latch arm, electrically operated devices for moving the dog against spring tension thereon and a cam lug depending from the latch arm outwardly of the notch to lower the rabbetted end of the horizontal arm to free the dog upon outward movement of the latch arm for restoring the dog to its set position above the horizontal arm for engagement with the latch arm.

4. In door lock mechanism for mail boxes and the like, lock mechanism for the door including a tensioned vertically disposed pivoted dog, a latch arm having a side notch to receive the dog, a pivoted horizontally disposed arm having one end disposed beneath the dog with the other end thereof outwardly of the dog rabbetted to receive the dog when pivotally moved to space the same from the latch arm, electrically operated devices for moving the dog against spring tension thereon and a cam lug depending from the latch arm outwardly of the notch to lower the rabbetted end of the horizontal arm to free the dog upon outward movement of the latch arm for restoring the dog to its set position above the horizontal arm for engagement with the latch arm, the other end of the horizontal arm being weighted for normally influencing the rabbetted end thereof in an upward direction into engagement with the dog.

5. In door lock mechanism for mail boxes and the like, look mechanism for the door including a tensioned vertically disposed pivoted dog, a latch arm having a side notch to receive the dog, a pivoted horizontally disposed arm having one end disposed beneath the dog with the end thereof outwardly of the dog rabbetted to receive the dog when pivotally moved to space the same from the latch arm, electrically operated devices for moving the dog against spring tension thereon, means carried by the latch arm for moving the pivoted horizontal arm from engagement with the dog upon movement of the latch arm to restore the dog to set position and means for limiting movement of the dog under the influence of the spring whereby the same is positioned for engagement by the latch arm.

RAYMOND MIKE HYLA. 

